Bundesliga Match Day 14: Preview and Forecast
- Chuck Smith
- Dec 7, 2018
- 4 min read
It has been increasingly hard to find ways to see Borussia Dortmund dropping points in the Bundesliga. BVB has been as thoroughly dominant as any squad from Europe's top leagues so far this season and a Revierderby match against Schalke 04 is not exactly going to strike fear into an extremely confident Dortmund squad.
With talent and depth overflowing on the roster, BVB has mixed and matched its way to league dominance, while Die Königsblauen has been absolutely horrid in the league. There is really no reason to think that Schalke will do anything aide of play a mistake-prone, uneven contest, but we are nearing the point of the season where Die Königsblauen will have to wake up or get buried.
To show just how absurd Schalke's season has been, see the graphic below:
This week Domenico Tedesco's boys are going to rally as much as they possibly can to make life hell for Dortmund. While I'm not sure Schalke has enough in the tank to pull out the win, I do think it could show enough fight to force a draw.
Prediction: Schalke 04 2, Borussia Dortmund 2
Werder Bremen 3, Fortuna Düsseldorf 1: Today's game will mark the first time that USMNT rising talent Josh Sargent has been called up to Werder Bremen's first team. Bremen has been solid - but not spectacular this season after a decent start. In search of some help with its offensive output, Die Werderaner could look to Sargent as early as today to start helping with that issue. How awesome would it be for the Missouri native to come on and score in his first appearance (should Florian Kohfeldt call the 18-year old's number)?
Bayer Leverkusen 3, FC Augsburg 1: Leverkusen has been maddeningly inconsistent all season. Just when it looks like it will start to reach its vast potential, Leverkusen has found ways to crash back down - like last week's extremely disappointing effort against FC Nurnberg, which resulted in a draw.
Despite the poor form as a squad, Kai Havertz has been excellent for Leverkusen. The 19-year old is putting all of his talent on display and seizing the opportunity to showcase himself, while likes of Julian Brandt and Leon Bailey have hit a bit of a developmental wall. Regardless, this should be a game that Leverkusen is amped for as Augsburg is now slouch. Oft-injured Icelander Alfred Finnbogason is once again listed as questionable. His impact on the outcome of this one would be a tremendous boost for Die Fuggerstädter.
Bayern Munich 5, FC Nürnberg 0: Could this be the week that Manuel Neuer picks up his first clean sheet in what feels like forever (actually - November 7th in the Champions League against AEK Athens)? Die Roten is finally starting to look like itself, but is still suffering one or two awful defensive gaffes per game. That is a trend that needs to change if the team is hoping to claw back into the Bundesliga race. This feels like a game where Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski work their magic and produce three or four goals. We'll see...
As for Der Club, it has not been an easy stretch, despite the squad's draw against Leverkusen last week. Nürnberg has not won since its DFB Pokal match against Hansa Rostock back on Halloween.
RB Leipzig 4, SC Freiburg 2: Breisgau-Brasilianer is in the midst of its longest winless streak in the Bundesliga this season (two losses, two draws) and won't find it to be an easy task to change that trend against an extremely powerful Die Roten Bullen side.
Leipzig has been riding high and playing extremely well behind Timo Werner. The 22-year old (yes, he still just 22!) has been excellent this season and will certainly look to continue that trend against Freiburg.
Christian Streich's squad will likely at least play Leipzig, rather than resorting to parking the bus against a faster Die Roten Bullen side. It is hard to see that bravery being rewarded, but judging by my record, maybe Streich's aggressive tactics will pay off.
Hoffenheim 2, Wolfsburg 1: The Wolves are coming off an excellent 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, while Hoffenheim is unbeaten in its last five games (albeit with draws in its last two contests). The Wolves may be at home, but this feels like a spot where Hoffenheim can steal three points on the road.
Eintracht Frankfurt 3, Hertha Berlin 2: This one could be the most fun game to watch this week as Die Adler will be looking to rebound after last week's aforementioned disappointment, while Hertha Berlin will be seeking to extend its unbeaten streak to three games. We are expecting some fireworks in this one and think that the trio of Ante Rebic, Sebastian Haller, and Luka Jovic will be looking to redeem itself after wasting so many chance last week against the Wolves.
Ondrej Duda has hit a major cold spell (no goals since October 18th) for Die Alte Dame, which could really use a resurgence by the 24-year old Slovakian.
Mainz 2, Hannover 96 1: Mainz is playing surprisingly well...Mainz is home....Mainz is the pick! Honestly, though, Hannover has been a bit disappointing of late. H96 has lost four of its last five, while M05 has won three of its last four. It would not be shocking to see Hannover force a tie, but Mainz has been building some nice momentum and will assuredly want to keep it going in the right direction.
Borussia Monchengladbach 3, VfB Stuttgart 1: After a stunning shutout loss to Leipzig last week, Die Fohlen will undoubtedly be looking for a victory at home. Stuttgart picked up a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Augsburg. This should be an excellent chance for the Foals to rebound, but Stuttgart is desperate and badly in need of another win....it just won't happen this week.
Last week's record: 2-7 (so bad...)
Season record: 49-68
Note: Predicted ties count as a win if correct and as a loss if there is a winner; conversely if a game is predicted to have a winner but ends in a tie, it will count as a loss.
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